A sealed legal complaint against GOP mega donor Elliott Broidy by his former mistress contains “troublesome claims that he wouldn’t want to become public,” a source with knowledge of the situation told The Daily Beast.
Broidy is being sued by former Playboy Playmate Shera Bechard, who became pregnant with his child before having an abortion. Bechard sued Broidy on Friday, alleging he violated their non-disclosure agreement when he stopped paying her installments totaling $1.6 million earlier this month. A source close to Broidy told The Daily Beast, “a cursory review of the lawsuit indicates it is full of falsehoods.”
On Tuesday, Michael Avenatti will ask a Los Angeles court to unseal the complaint that he said names him.
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“You don’t sue someone and refuse to give them a copy of the complaint, unless you are playing a game,” Avenatti told The Daily Beast.
He currently represents porn actress Stormy Daniels in her lawsuit against Michael Cohen, who negotiated her non-disclosure agreement to keep quiet an alleged affair with Donald Trump. Cohen also negotiated Bechard’s NDA.
On April 12, Avenatti tweeted: “In last 18 mos, Mr. Cohen negotiated yet another hush NDA, this time on behalf of a prominent GOP donor who had a relationship with a LA woman, impregnated her and then made sure she had an abortion. The deal provided for multiple payments across many months.”
Broidy accuses Keith Davidson, the former lawyer for Bechard and Daniels, of leaking Broidy’s agreement to Avenatti.
“Keith did not leak anything to me,” Avenatti said. “I had a discussion with him and he volunteered a significant amount of information to me unsolicited about this situation. He never told me any of it was confidential and therefore I could do whatever I wanted with it. Me being named in this lawsuit is frivolous and complete bullshit.”
A representative for Davidson declined to comment.
Over the weekend, Avenatti emailed Davidson, Broidy’s attorney Chris Clark, and Bechard’s attorney Peter Stris, according to a source with knowledge of the situation. Avenatti told them he would seek a court order directing Bechard’s counsel to “immediately provide” him with a copy of the complaint and unseal it in its entirety.
Broidy’s attorney, Chris Clark, replied opposing the request and issuing a stern warning for Avenatti, an ever-present guest on CNN on MSNBC: “We also will seek appropriate sanctions against any party that seeks to publicize these proceedings in any matter.
That warning shot didn’t scare off Avenatti though. On Sunday, he tweeted: “We will be appearing in LA Superior Court on Tues am to seek to force Mr. Stris to provide me with a copy of the lawsuit filed by Ms. Bechard against me, Mr. Broidy, and Mr. Davidson. We will also ask that it be unsealed in its entirety for the public record. #Basta”
Clark, Broidy’s attorney, said in a statement to The Daily Beast: “When I have had a chance to review the lawsuit thoroughly and to review any potential motion to unseal then, I will be able to form an opinion on what is appropriate.”
